Butter pat dispenser

ABSTRACT

A dispenser suitable for use on a dining table for dispensing to the ultimate consumer individual packages of food, such as butter pat packages. The dispenser includes means to maintain the food packages in a refrigerated state and a dispensing mechanism adapted to sequentially dispense the bottom food package from a vertical stack of pats.

United States Patent Benjamin Redmond 520 East 77th St., New York, N.Y. 10021; Leila R. Chenkin, 525 East 86th St., New

Inventors York, N.Y. 10028 Appl. No. 776,574 Filed Nov. 18, 1968 Patented Jan. 26, 1971 BUTTER PAT DISPENSER 11 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl. 221/150, 221/197, 221/274 Int. Cl. A47f l/08 Field olSearch 221/150, 197, 273, 274, 276; 62/294, 371, 372, 457, 530; 74/101, 102

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,626,197 1/1953 Kollock 221/274X 3,351,233 11/1967 Chanoch et al 221/150 3,405,841 10/1968 Barr, Sr. et a1 22l/274X Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Assistant ExaminerDavid A. Scherbel Attorney-Morgan, Finnegan, Durham & Pine ABSTRACT: A dispenser suitable for use on a dining table for dispensing to the ultimate consumer individual packages of food, such as butter pat packages. The dispenser includes means to maintain the food packages in a refrigerated state and a dispensing mechanism adapted to sequentially dispense the bottom food package from a vertical stack of pats.

BUTTER PAT DISPENSER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to a dispenser for accommodating a stack of food packages and maintaining them in a refrigerated state. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a dispenser for individual packages of butter, margarine or similar food products which dispenser has prime utility as part of the setting of an individual dining table service in both commercial and domestic environments.

2. Description of the Prior Art The food processing industry, and in particular, the butter and margarine packaging industry, constantly endeavors to provide the most sanitary and palatably attractive food service possible. One relatively recent advance achieved by the industry is the packaging of butter or margarine in packages adapted to accommodate a single butter or margarine pat. Basically, the individual pat packages are comprised of a single pat of butter or margarine, a base of support sized slightly larger than the butter or margarine pat, and a parchment paper hat.

The package base or support, generally referred to as a mat, serves to support the pat while the paper hat rests directly on the pat to provide cover for the package. These individual packages are conveniently transported in larger containers referred to as boats. Generally, the boats are rectangularly shaped and have a cross-sectional area which is slightly larger than a mat. Hence, a single stack of butter or margarine packages can be packaged in each boat.

Consequently, the combination of the individual food package and the boatlike containers have provided the food packaging and commercial food industry with means for rapid and sanitary handling of articles such as butter and margarine. However, the final service of the individual pat to the ultimate consumer is necessarily completed by manually removing the individual butter or margarine pat packages from the boat containers and either placing the individual pats adjacent each place setting or serving several in a common container packed with ice.

If service is provided in the former manner, the butter on the mats cannot be refrigerated; hence, there is a tendency for the butter or margarine to melt and wick into the mat. Wicking occurs when the pat begins to melt since the mat, which is generally made of coated paper, is somewhat porous and consequently prone to absorb the liquid portion of the pat. A greaselike stain appears on the mat as the liquid is absorbed by the mat, hence an unattractive and unappetizing appearance is given to the entire package.

Alternatively, if several butter or margarine packages are served in a common container with ice, the dual disadvantages of firstly, saturating the butter or margarine with the water which is formed as the ice melts, and secondly, requiring individuals to reach into the common container to remove the individual mats provides both a less attractive and less sanitary procedure than desired.

In addition, restaurants and other commercial eating establishments have detected a reluctance on the part of diners to request margarine rather than butter. Hence, there exists a need for table dispensers which can be labeled either butter or margarine since the presence of both a butter and a margarine dispenser on the table of a public restaurant will eliminate the need to request service of either one or the other.

At present, there are food dispensers which will individually dispense food packages of butter or margarine. However, they do not lend themselves to individual table service. Representative of these dispensers is a food dispenser developed particularly for use in dispensing butter in cafeterias. The cafeteria type dispenser, seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,233(Chanoch, Nov. 7, 1967) is large, equipped with a heavy refrigeration chamber and provided with a dispensing mechanism which requires the individual to pull a slide member horizontally to remove the butter pat, The size of the dispenser facilitates the use of a heavy duty refrigeration system and provides a suffcient mass to react any force that might be imposed by pulling the slide members horizontally to remove the butter. Consequently, this dispenser does not lend itself to use on in dividual restaurant or home dining tables.

Alternatively, refrigerated food dispensers for butter or margarine have been developed which might have application on individual dining tables. However, they are not provided with means for dispensing the individual pat packages and generally consist of a vertically arranged chute with finger openings in the bottom to afford access for the removal of each pat package. These dispensers, seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,287,073(Holtkamp, Nov. 22, 1966) are also susceptible to jamming since some degree of manual dexterity is required to remove an individual package. It is necessary, in the design of these dispensers, to provide a relatively large access opening to facilitate manual removal of each pat package since fingers of all sizes must be able to pass through the openings. Therefore, the openings must necessarily expose more than the bottom pat package. As a result, the pat packages can be bent and cause jamming of the stack.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a dispenser for butter, margarine or similar food packages with means to refrigerate the food pat packages which dispenser has particular application on individual dining tables.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a pat package dispenser having a dispensing mechanism which is operable by vertically depressing a lever thereby obviating any need to hold the dispenser to prevent movement thereof during the dispensing operation.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a butter pat dispenser, simple in design and attractive in appearance, which will afford sanitary service of butter to the ultimate consumer and will obviate any need to serve individual butter pats at each place setting.

The butter pat dispenser of the present invention is comprised of a housing having a centrally disposed cavity, a chamber for accommodating a refrigerant, and a dispenser mechanism attached thereto. The centrally disposed cavity in the housing is adapted to accommodate a removable chute having a cross-sectional shape and size essentially the same as the butter pat package. The dispensing mechanism is essentially comprised of a finger operated lever, a bell crank, and a dispenser carriage slide member arranged to follow the bell crank and to slide in the horizontal plane of the lowermost butter pat package. The housing is also provided with a frontal opening through which the lowermost pat package can pass. Operation of the dispenser is effected by pressing the finger operated lever downwardly to move the slide member forwardly, thereby forcing the leading edge of the bottom pat package out of the frontal opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and a better understanding thereof will result from the following detailed description of the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the dispenser of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the dispenser of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevational view of the dispenser of FIG. 1 taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the dispenser with the cover removed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The food dispenser of the present invention is designed primarily for use on a dining table to dispense butter, margarine or similar food pat packages.

The dispenser 2, shown in FIG. I, is comprised ofa housing section 4, a cover or cap section 6, and a dispensing mechanism 8. For both convenience and appearance, the dispenser is substantially cylindrical or frustoconical in shape. However, any shape may be given to the dispenser without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Basically, the housing 4 is provided with a central cavity 10, which accommodates a rectangularly shaped removable chute 12 wherein the pat packages are stacked. In addition, the housing l is provided with a. frontal opening 14 through which the individual pat packages are dispensed from the dispenser interior and a base cavity 16 to accommodate the dispensing mechanism. The cover 6 is adapted to fit directly over the removable chute l2 and is provided with a chamber 118 for a coolant or a refrigerant.

The housing cavity 16 in which the dispensing mechanism is mounted is defined by an upper surface 20 and an annular wall 22 having a frontal opening 24.

The dispenser mechanism 8, best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 is comprised of a lever 26, a bellcrank 28 and a dispenser slide carriage 343. The lever 26 is pivotally mounted at the rear and near the bottom of the housing cavity 16 by a horizontally disposed pin 32 and is arranged to extend forwardly beyond the housing frontal opening 24. At the forward end of the lever 26, a pressure surface 34 is provided to facilitate depression of the lever 26.

The bellcrank 28 is mounted in the housing cavity 16 for rotation about a horizontally disposed pin 36. Although a variety of means can be employed to mount the bellcrank 28, it has been found convenient to depend two support members 46 and 48 from the upper surface 20 of the housing cavity 16. The horizontally disposed pin 36 passes through both supports 46 and 48 and the bellcrank 28 to pivotally support the bellcrank 28. structurally, the bellcrank 28 is provided with slots 38 and 40 in which respective pins 42 and M are arranged to slide. Pins 42 and 44 extend transversely from the lever 26 and the dispenser slide carriage 30 respectively.

The dispenser slide carriage 30 has a flat upper surface 50, a flat lower surface 52, a rear shoulder 54 and depending plate members 56 and 58 which mount the pin 44, As best seen in FIG. 3, the dispenser slide carriage 30 is mounted to slide in a slot 60 formed in the upper surface 20 of the housing cavity 16. The slot 60 extends from a location near the housing frontal opening 14 rearwardly to facilitate travel of the dispenser slide carriage 30 from the back to the front of the dispenser.

In the nested position, the shoulder 54 on the dispenser slide carriage 30 must be sufficiently to the rear of the stack of pat packages to allow the bottom pat package to rest on the carriage upper surface 50. Means are therefore provided to insure positive return of the carriage to the nested position. It has been found that a coiled spring 62 attached at one end to the inner surface of the annular wall 22 at the rear of the cavity 16 and at the other end to a post 66 depending from the carriage is suitable for this purpose.

Functionally, the dispenser mechanism 8 operates by manually depressing the lever 26. As the lever 26 is depressed, the pin 42 slides in the bellcrank slot 38, hearing against the slot surface to rotate the bellcrank 23 about the mounting pin 36. As a consequence of the rotation of the bellcrank 28, the bell crank slot 40 reacts through the pin 44 to translate the dispenser slide carriage 30 forwardly. Consequently, the rear shoulder 54 will engage the rear edge of the food pat package 66 at the bottom of the stack within the dispenser 2 and force the leading edge thereof beyond the housing opening 14.

Arranged in the housing central cavity is the removable chute l2 comprised of a base 68, a rear wall 70 and sidewalls 72 and 74 which accommodates the stack of pat packages 66.

Essentially, the removable chute 12 is square in cross-sectional shape, as best seen in FIG. 4, and sized slightly larger than the surface area of a pat package 66. The rear wall is provided with ribs 76 which serve to locate the stack of food pat packages 66 in alignment with the leading edge of the shoulder 54 on the dispenser slide carriage 30. In addition, the base 68 of the removable chute 12 has a slot 78 formed therein which is aligned with the slot 60 to afford uninhibited movement of the dispenser slide carriage 30.

lt is necessary that the removable chute 12 be firmly secured in the housing cavity by some suitable means. In practice, it has been found that the provision of square cutout sections 80 contoured to conform to the shape of the square edges of the removable chute l2 and a rear rib member 82 adapted to fit in a rear housing recess 84 provide suitable securing means to positively locate the removable chute 12.

The cover member 6 must also be positively attached to the housing 4. When the housing 4 is circularly shaped, screw threads serve particularly well to attach the cover 6 to the housing 4, however, any suitable fastening device can be used. Since the cover 6 is located directly over the stack of pat packages 66, the chamber 18 adapted to accommodate a coolant or refrigerant is directly above the stack of pat packages. Any suitable coolant material in a leakproof container such as a plastic ice-filled package or a sealed refreezable coolant cartridge 86 can be used. Particularly suitable refreezable coolant cartridges are the Free-Zit and Canned-Ice cartridges.

In operation, the dispenser cover 6 must be removed and the inner removable chute l2 removed for the purposes of transferring a stack of butter or margarine pat packages from a boat or pat container to the chute 12. Since the chute 12 is the same in cross-sectional shape as the cross section of a pat package boat container, the transfer of the stack from the boat to the chute 12 can be readily made without complex manual handling. Alternatively, the chute 12 can be left in the housing cavity and the stack of butter mats can be inserted from above. However, this operation may be somewhat less efficient than the preferred method.

With the chute l2 loaded with a stack of butter pat packages 66, the cover chamber 18 can be filled with the above described leakproof container of coolant material and the cover 6 attached to the housing 4 to provide the fully assembled dispenser 2.

The dispenser 2 is now prepared for service and can be placed on dining table. Each patron desiring butter or margarine can choose the dispenser labeled to indicate either butter or margarine and get an individual pat 66 by simply pressing the dispenser lever 26 downwardly. By pressing the lever 26 downwardly, the leading edge of the bottom pat package 66 is transported beyond the housing opening 14 to a location wherein it can be removed by the diner. The housing opening 14 must necessarily be sufficiently large to afford passage of an individual food pat package. Therefore, the housing opening 14 can have any dimensions larger than the cross-sectional area of a food pat package 66. However, in practice it has been found that particularly good results are achieved when the housing opening is limited in size to a size just slightly larger than the cross-sectional area of the popular commercially used food pat packages. Typically, the popular commercially used food pat packages sized to give 60 to 90 pats per pound of butter.

The individual dispenser is particularly suited to individual table servings. In addition, each of the dispensers can be labeled to indicate the contents, thereby enabling the diner to choose the spread he desires.

The drawings and description disclose the preferred form of the invention and variations which come within the spirit of the invention are intended to be comprehended thereby.

We claim:

1. A dispenser for individual food pat packages comprising:

a housing member having a vertically disposed cavity and a frontal opening for affording communication between the vertically disposed cavity and the exterior of the housing;

a cover for the vertically disposed cavity;

a removable chute adapted to fit within the vertically disposed cavity and to accommodate a stack of individual food pat packages, with the bottom food pat package of the stack arranged in alignment with the frontal opening in the housing;

means for refrigerating the stack of food pat packages;

means for positively dispensing the bottom food pat package from the stack through the frontal opening in the housing;

a chamber in the bottom of the housing for housing the means for dispensing the food pat packages and wherein the means for positively dispensing theindividual food pat packages from the stack is comprised of a mechanism compressed of a pivotally mounted lever;

a dispenser slide carriage arranged for sliding from the rear to the front of the dispenser in the horizontal plane of the food pat package at the bottom of the stack of food pat packages;

means on the dispenser slide carriage for engaging the rear edge of the bottom food pat package as the slide carriage moves to the front of the dispenser; and

a bellcrank connecting the lever and the dispenser slide carriage respectively for concomitant movement whereby depression of the finger operated lever will translate the dispenser slide carriage forwardly. I I

2. An apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising a pin extending transversely from the lever; a pin extending transversely from the dispenser slide carriage and wherein the bellcrank has crank arms having slots formed therein; which slots accommodate the pin extending transversely from the lever and the pin extending transversely from the dispenser slide carriage respectively.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the means on the dispenser slide carriage to engage the rear edge of the bottom food pat package of the stack as the slide carriage moves to the front of the dispenser is an elevated shoulder at the rear of the dispenser slide carriage, and wherein the removable chute for accommodating a vertical stack of food pat packages is comprised of sidewalls, a rear wall and a base having a slot extending from the rear wall to an intermediately disposed location on the base of the compartment, which slot is in alignment with the path of travel of the elevated shoulder at the rear of the dispenser slide carriage.

4. An apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the means on the dispenser slide carriage to engage the rear edge of the bottom food pat package of the stack as the slide carriage moves to the front of the dispenser is an elevated shoulder at the rear of the dispenser slide carriage, and wherein the removable chute for accommodating a vertical stack of food pat packages is comprised of sidewalls, a rear wall and a base having a slot extending from the rear wall to an intermediately disposed location on the base of the compartment, which slot is in alignment with the path of travel of the elevated shoulder at the rear of the dispenser slide carriage.

5. An apparatus as in claim 3 further comprising means to bias the dispenser slide carriage rearwardly to a location out of the area of the surface on which the stack of food pat packages is resting and vertical ribs on the inner rear wall of the removable chute to positively position the stack of food pat packages away from the rear wall.

6. An apparatus as in claim 4 further comprising means to bias the dispenser slide carriage rearwardly to a location out of the area of the surface on which the stack of food pat packages is resting and vertical ribs on the inner rear wall of the removable chute to positively position the stack of food pat packages away from the rear wall.

7. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the cover for the vertically disposed cavity is removable and has an inner centrally disposed chamber and the means to refrigerate the stack of food pat packages is a leakproof coolant container housed in the inner chamber of the removable cover.

8. An apparatus as in claim 6 wherein the cover member for the vertically disposed cavity is removable and has an inner centrally disposed chamber and the means to refrigerate the stack of food pat packages is a leakproof coolant container housed in the inner chamber of the cover.

9. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the frontal opening in the housing has a cross-sectional area slightly larger than the cross-sectional area of a commercial food pat package sized to give 60 pats per pound of butter.

10. An apparatus as in claim 8 wherein the frontal opening in the housing has a cross-sectional area slightly larger than the cross-sectional area of a commercial food pat package sized to give 60 pats per pound of butter.

11. An apparatus as in claim 10 wherein thedispenser is substantially frustoconically shaped. 

1. A dispenser for individual food pat packages comprising: a housing member having a vertically disposed cavity and a frontal opening for affording communication between the vertically disposed cavity and the exterior of the housing; a cover for the vertically disposed cavity; a removable chute adapted to fit within the vertically disposed cavity and to accommodate a stack of individual food pat packages, with the bottom food pat package of the stack arranged in alignment with the frontal opening in the housing; means for refrigerating the stack of food pat packages; means for positively dispensing the bottom food pat package from the stack through the frontal opening in the housing; a chamber in the bottom of the housing for housing the means for dispensing the food pat packages and wherein the means for positively dispensing the individual food pat packages from the stack is comprised of a mechanism compressed of a pivotally mounted lever; a dispenser slide carriage arranged for sliding from the rear to the front of the dispenser in the horizontal plane of the food pat package at the bottom of the stack of food pat packages; means on the dispenser slide carriage for engaging the rear edge of the bottom food pat package as the slide carriage moves to the front of the dispenser; and a bellcrank connecting the lever and the dispenser slide carriage respectively for concomitant movement whereby depression of the finger operated lever will translate the dispenser slide carriage forwardly.
 2. An apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising a pin extending transversely from the lever; a pin extending transversely from the dispenser slide carriage and wherein the bellcrank has crank arms having slots formed therein; which slots accommodate the pin extending transversely from the lever and the pin extending transversely from the dispenser slide carriage respectively.
 3. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the means on the dispenser slide carriage to engage the rear edge of the bottom food pat package of the stack as the slide carriage moves to the front of the dispenser is an elevated shoulder at the rear of the dispenser slide carriage, and wherein the removable chute for accommodating a vertical stack of food pat packages is comprised of sidewalls, a rear wall and a base having a slot extending from the rear wall to an intermediately disposed location on the base of the compartment, which slot is in alignment with the path of travel of the elevated shoulder at the rear of the dispenser slide carriage.
 4. An apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the means on the dispenser slide carriage to engage the rear edge of the bottom food pat package of the stack as the slide carriage moves to the front of the dispenser is an elevated shoulder at the rear of the dispenser slide carriage, and wherein the removable chute for accommodating a vertical stack of food pat packages is comprised of sidewalls, a rear wall and a base having a slot extending from the rear wall to an intermediately disposed location on the base of the compartment, which slot is in alignment with the path of travel of the elevated shoulder at the rear of the dispenser slide carriage.
 5. An apparatus as in claim 3 further comprising means to bias the dispenser slide carriage rearwardly to a location out of the area of the surface on which the stack of food pat packages is resting and vertical ribs on the inner rear wall of the removable chute to positively position the stack of food pat packages away from the rear wall.
 6. An apparatus as in claim 4 further comprising means to bias the dispenser slide carriage rearwardly to a location out of the area of the surface on which the stack of food pat packages is resting and vertical ribs on the inner rear wall of the removable chute to positively position the stack of food pat packages away from the rear wall.
 7. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the cover for the vertically disposed cavity is removable and has an inner centrally disposed chamber and the means to refrigerate the stack of food pat packages is a leakproof coolant container housed in the inner chamber of the removable cover.
 8. An apparatus as in claim 6 wherein the cover member for the vertically disposed cavity is removable and has an inner centrally disposed chamber and the means to refrigerate the stack of food pat packages is a leakproof coolant container housed in the inner chamber of the cover.
 9. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the frontal opening in the housing has a cross-sectional area slightly larger than the cross-sectional area of a commercial food pat package sized to give 60 pats per pound of butter.
 10. An apparatus as in claim 8 wherein the frontal opening in the housing has a cross-sectional area slightly larger than the cross-sectional area of a commercial food pat package sized to give 60 pats per pound of butter.
 11. An apparatus as in claim 10 wherein the dispenser is substantially frustoconically shaped. 